The next test
by KingOfComs
Summary: After wandering down the streets for a while, Hanayuki finally found the toy store on her own. Usually she went there with Near; like the other sores, it was decorated cutely for Valentines Day, little heart lights over I’’s door and heart-holding bear


The sirens are infuriating. I wish they''d turn them off…… I can''t concentrate! The car''s almost going too fast to control…… The brick walls of the city are flying by. Damnit! Is this where my life is supposed to flash before my eyes?

_An emotional face…… sparkling blue eyes and silky-smooth blonde hair. A laughing smile, laughing at _me, _smiling for _me!

Fuck! That''s not my life…… is it? Ah! No! More cars…… Turn right! Go go go go _go!_ I can''t let him down! Got to finish this…… Have to lose them……

''_Matt, can you do this for me?'' ''Of course. I won''t fail you!'' _

Maybe…… I''ve almost……! NO! A blockade…… Damnit! The car''s skidding…… don''t tip over! Alright…… I''ve seen the movies; put my hands up, step out of the car…… They can''t kill me if they want to learn anything. One more pull on the cigarette…… Keep it cool. They aren''t going to kill me.

_The night can be so peaceful when he''s there. The loud sounds of the city are distant, faded. _

The shots surprised me. I can''t feel the bullets…… I can''t feel anything. I know I''m falling, I''m dying, but the world has blacked out. I don''t see the sickening, spinning lights, I see his face. I can''t smell the metallic, heavy blood, I smell his chocolate. I don''t feel my wounds…… I feel him.

Hanayuki had no idea what to do. She looked up to look at the clock on the wall then at the bed where a white haired boy was curled up, sleeping peacefully and cutely. She would have smiled if she wasn''t worried so much at that moment.

The day was February 13th; tomorrow was Valentines Day, the day made for couples and people who liked bright colors, and Hanayuki had no gift for her beloved Near. Not that she knew if he even remembered it being February 14th tomorrow but she didn''t care; she just wanted to get him something. But she didn''t know what.

Earlier that day she asked Artemis, also known as Alex, for help, but all she could think of was chocolate. Not as a gift but just chocolate in general.

Hanayuki doubted Near liked chocolate too much. She thought of making him something but she 1) didn''t know what and 2)couldn''t sew, knit or cook, not like her friend Sabrina, She thought of going out but didn''t want Near following; thus waiting for him to fall asleep.

She got up, Damarecius her black stuffed rabbit in her arms as she looked at Near one more time then smiled. She walked over and kissed his cheek, ""Night near.""

He mumbled in his sleep then turned over. She giggled softly then grabbed her jacket and left the room; it would be cold outside, she just knew it would.

It wasn''t until she had stepped outside though that the dread came back, the familiar fear she''d lived with for seven years before meeting Near. Her dormant hikikomori/agoraphobic side had awakened at the least good time. She held tight to Damarecius, holding him to her face as she looked around, people walking by. Hanayuki remembered why she was like that too; all the blood, the death, the memory of Kuroyuki lying there………….

She quickly closed her eyes and tried to focus, focus on near, on why she'd gone out.

After a little while of trying to focus and people staring at the cute little girl, she finally calmed enough to move and she went off to the toy store. Near loved toys, one would be the best choice for a gift.

She still got stares as she walked though, mostly because she appeared to be 10 years old, holding a scary looking bunny with two mismatched button eyes in her arms, her jacket going over the edge of her pants that really were just pajama bottoms, the pant legs over her shoes, making her look even smaller and cuter. Hanayuki didn't notice though; at that moment only the next day mattered. In the windows of the shops she passed decorations and cute little gifts like boxes of candies and big teddy bears with hearts that held words upon them like ""Will you b(e) my Valentine?"" and ""I wuv you!"" One store had a different kind of teddy, not a bear mind you, in the window and other things, causing her to go red and run off in embarrassment. That /definitely/ was not what she needed (me: for you pedophile pervs out there, stop imagining Hana like that! *sprays pedo-be-gone on you*) to see.

After wandering down the streets for a while, Hanayuki finally found the toy store on her own. Usually she went there with Near; like the other sores, it was decorated cutely for Valentines Day, little heart lights over I''s door and heart-holding bears in its window. She gave Damarecius a squeeze then walked in where it was nice and warm and carried the scent of well-loved stuffed animals and building blocks. She loved that scent; she smiled happily, getting one back from the old woman who owned and run the store, ''Why hello Han, how''s one of my two best and favorite customers?""

""Good, Mrs. O''Hara,"" she answered then walked over, her chin on the counter which was almost as tall as her, ""do you have anything really nice I could give Near for Valentines Day?""

""Well, well, aren''t you the cute little girlfriend?"" Mrs. O''Hara said with a chuckle, ""How about one of our bears?""

Hanayuki shook her head, ""It has to be /real/ special.""

""Well then, how about a /really/ big bear?""

She shook her head again.

""How about a blank puzzle, those are rather popular and you two do love your puzzles. You can write a little message on it for him then scramble it and give it as a gift.""

Hanayuki thought for a moment then shook her head again. Mrs. O''Hara thought as well then smiled and left for a moment only to return with a box with sewing materials in it. She handed it to the confused Hanayuki, ""Well then, if nothing pre-made is good enough for your sweet fellow albino, then the best course of action is to make him something with your own two hands. Your Near will love it the most then.""

""But I can''t sew,"" Hanayuki said with a sad frown.

Mrs. O''Hara put a hand on Hanayuki''s head gently and when the little albino looked up, the old woman smiled, ""You''re an incredible little girl; I doubt you can''t do anything if you try. And before you even think of payment, it''s a gift from me to you; now scurry along and start working on that gift for Near.""

Hanayuki blinked then nodded and smiled, ''Alright Mrs. O''Hara. Bye!""

She ran off with Damarecius bouncing in her arms. The woman watched with a gentle smile then returned to work.

It took the girl half the time to return than it had taken for her to get there,. Probably because she''d been running the whole way back. But it was only a few hours to Valentine''s Day after all. She ran up to the building then up the stairs to their office, to their room. Upon entering she found Near still fast asleep on the bed, now under the covers and stretched out, his head to the side gently. She took a seat in the corner and took out the fur to be used; obviously Mrs. O''Hara had expected an animal. The fur was white and quite soft to the touch, very pretty, staring at it, many things came to Hanayuki''s mind, too many really; she sighed then saw Damarecius sitting beside her. He stared back and suddenly she got an idea. Taking scissors and the furs, she began to work; hoping just remembering watching Kuroyuki would be enough to make up for her inexperience.

About six or seven hours later, Hanayuki ventured back over to near, holding his present gently in her arms as she reached out and shook him softly, like a mother would a sleeping child to wake them. He stirred, opening pitch black eyes and looking around before finally resting them on her. He blinked three times then sat up, rubbing those same eyes, ""Hana-chan?""

""Morning near-kun,"" she said with a loving smile.

""What time is it?""

She glanced at the clock, ''3:03 a.m. It took longer than I expected to make.""

""What did?"" near asked with a cute little tied look.

She blushed and held out his present, a white rabbit a little like Damarecius with a purple tail. He blinked, staring at the rather badly done but still pretty cute rabbit with its abnormally long ears and limbs. Its mouth was double crossed stitched over a larger cross stitch and its eyes were two pale buttons. Its tail stood out since it was purple and was like a velvet-soft pom-pom from its rear. As he took it, its head fell back and he felt a confused over it. He looked at his blushing companion, ''huh?""

""Happy valentine''s day,"" she said gently then smiled a bit, ""her name''s Athena, I made her for you.""

He looked back at the rabbit, at Athena and for a moment Hanayuki feared he didn''t like her and that made her sad; nut soon enough he smiled too and she blushed even more, ""I love it, Hanayuki, thank you!""

""R-r-really? I mean, if you don''t that''s okay, you shouldn''t say you do just because of me,"" she said, ''I''m not any good at sewing or anything like that so…….""

He kissed her cheek and Hanayuki blinked then smiled at Near spoke, ""What could be better than a gift made from hand? Plus now we both have rabbits that kinda match. I''m just sorry I forgot.""

She shook her head gently, ""No, not a t all; you can make it up for me on St. White''s day……..""

A young girl of about eight plodding around in the dark confines of her room, cursing in different languages, irritation evident in everything she did.

Surprisingly, she managed to maneuver through the black as pitch room easily, even managing to punch the walls quite a few times, claw at the heavy steel door and glare fruitlessly at the one way mirror in the southern wall with neon green slitted eyes.

The room itself was a dull sight. White washed walls, colorless tile and the ominous tinted one-way mirror, not to mention that nearly everything was worse for wear due to a certain child''s temper tantrums.

Her ears twitched every now and then, followed by a flick of the tail. She was soon irritated with walking like a human, settling for her hands and feet, pouncing in an incensed manner, hissing and mewling at random things, fully abandoning any human language.

Of course, she only proceeded to do this when said humans were not physically around her, or when she did not feel a presence behind the glass. When she did, she blocked everything out so well that you could think her dead if not for the slight movement of her chest that signified breathing.

A frown made it''s way to her sickly pale skin as she curled up on her bed (which truthfully was just a straw mat on the floor with a thing sheet) not caring if her ebony and silver hair fell in her eyes.

Really, they expected her to cooperate with what they did? She was sure thus was inhumane, given she was not all the way _human _but that was both besides the point and _their _fault.

She was completely stoic to whatever they did to her, even the ""limit testing,"" which consisted of things like physical limitations (bullet aversion, contortionism because she had over thirty vertebrae unlike the standard 26 of a human, pain tolerance, mental limitation and emotional limitations and ample amount more……but she knew that this was a perverse form of torture for the sake of ""human"" knowledge. She turned a different leaf when they began providing her with books of morals and of ""regular"" life. That, conveniently, was at the age of three. She full out became resistant to the tests, got punished severely by the scientists, psychologists and biophysicists.

She quickly learned it was safer on her part (though living life in a laboratory was far from being safe at all) to do as they say and tend to her own devices and rants when she was alone.

Her hopes were not high, that is, her hopes to be found. She could not even comprehend what hope was for that matter. In her head, the chances of leaving the hellhole were slim to none.

Little after testing her, they proclaimed her a complete success. The humans were completely and totally enthused about finally creating the perfect (in their eyes0 combination of cat and human. Though she had her own behavioral quirks, varying in degree.

She loathed walking like a human, using the extra little appendage on her hands called a pollex (or thumb in humans) unless it was absolutely necessary, her dietary choices (fish, milk, sweets and anything that was labeled ""unhealthy""), how she tended to dig her nails into her skin when she irritated or deep in thought, the way she twirled her hair viciously when stressed, her furry tail, fluffy ears and among many more.

But over all, they deemed her more favorable traits, well, more favorable.

She could scale walls without any further assistance, squeeze through bars so tight it should have been physically impossible for the human anatomy, she could sense most anything, mimic others to the point that it seemed surreal, a photographic memory of things she chose to remember and fast as a bullet reflexes.

But they had failed to ever see that their experiment was unhappy and just following what she thought was for her own well-being. She had trudged along her life like this for years on end……and it was not at all fulfilling, leaving a hollow and vacant feeling in the center of her chest. The female, or Kat, as she referred to herself in private, had lived a gloomy and miserable seven years, always bearing the torture for others'' benefits or to satisfy their sadistic and wicked curiosity.

A growl built up in her throat, teeth gritted. She took to jumping on the walls, hissing vulgar threats into thin air.

Then, a high and trilling sound met her ears, startling her thoroughly. She twisted her top half first, followed by her back, landing on all fours. A red light flared relentlessly, the shadows seeming to dance around her as she sighed and leaned back on her haunches. The idiots at the control panel must have gotten intoxicated, were mating on the switch board (she gave a violent twitch at the thought, having read book on both human and feline mating rituals) or the ignoramuses had been caught in one of their more gruesome experiments and the proper authorities were on their way to retrieve her.

She scoffed at the absurdity of the latter thought, settling for the former assumptions, mood darkening upon realizing that her life might not have a ""happy"" ending like in the books she read so much about. No ""Philip Marlow, Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot"" to save her and bring the culprits to justice.

Yet, strangely enough, the gods were against her usually accurate probabilities.

The lead bolted door burst open with a loud bang, revealing two humans in the doorway before Kat retreated to the darkest corner of the room. Her thoughts focused as she concentrated on becoming a small, furry tabby cat kitten. It was just a preventative measure; she was not going to be foolish enough to throw caution to the wind, it was most certainly more knowledgeable then being too _lax_.

Her eyes, neon green and holding an inconceivable amount of secrets, aimed at the humans, fur on end.

Kat listened in on what they spoke noticing with inquisitiveness why they were speaking a different language in China, even more, why they were speaking English. The girl, clad in baggy clothing and sporting western physique (the whole she-bang, clue eyes, fair skin and blonde hair). She said, verbatim: ""Damn! I thought she was supposed to be here! I was sure!""

She stared at the two people that entered her enclosure, speculating whether they were here for their own benefit or hers. Of course, being the pessimist she was, she was keener to sway to the negative ideas rather than listen to the little voice in her head that wanted her to be optimistic for once.

""Just because she is not here in her human form does not mean that she is not present in the room in any other of her appearances, W,"" She eyed the old man, he seemed kindly and somewhat had a certain air about him, making her think of friendly environments found in novels. But what threw her off balance was the fact that he had called the girl ""W.""

""Right, Watari,"" W (Kat assumed was the girl''s name) made a beeline for the corner Kat had situated herself in, the man lagging behind. Her instincts wanted to take hold of her as she estimated her distance form the wall and the likelihood of her escaping in time.

_And if they are here with good intentions?_ She froze. It seemed completely preposterous, no one knew of her and were more likely to worry about their own things than a child like her. _And should you run out, who is to say you shall, indeed, survive?_ Another point, all she had to go on were books that never ceased to be without the clichééd happy ending. This was reality; people were killed on a daily basis, died of poverty, starvation……

She had given to much time to the morbid thoughts, it seemed.

""Kew Keikan?"" The girl, W, asked her, incing forward, even if hesitantly. Kat tilted her head at the name before snapping out of it, readying herself to leap at the wall.

But one single line stopped her from doing so.

""We are here to save you, Kat,"" The elderly man said. Everything seemed to spin around her, a wave of vertigo hit her. Had he just uttered the words that she dreamed of the majority of her short life? Maybe she had fallen unconscious after the scientist attempted to riddle her with bullets again?

""You can change into your other form, we are well aware if the fact that you can, Kew,"" There was that name again! It sounded Japanese like ""kyu"" but also like the ""kew"" for loveable in Chinese! Her name was Kat!

Though her mind was reeling with rants, accusation and questions, she nonetheless felt her bones realigning themselves again.

She timidly took a step forward, narrowing her eyes into a glare. ""Who is this ''Kew Keikan'' you speak of? I am only aware of myself; Kat,"" She informed them quietly. W gasped; face twisting up in something between horror and disgust, scanning her eyes over Kat''s body, teeming with inquiries.

""Kew Keikan, That is your given name, but we can call you Kat if you wish,"" The man, Watari, informed her. The tomboy looked at them with little interest, all emotion slipping from her face as she slipped out of the room with a grace that Kat had failed to find in any other humans.

""And, if you _are_ here to ''save me'' then how am I to know that you will not treat me worse?"" _Though I highly doubt the probability of that, in the stories I read, the adults do not shoot bullets at their children for the purpose of selfish benefit or curiosity of boundaries. _

Watari took on an even softer demeanor, ruffling through his bag and pulling out a fur line black coat, holding them out to her. What? Was her bandaged chest and sweat pants not enough?

_A peace offering, perhaps?_ Sniffing the air lightly to make sure that there were no noxious fumes surrounding it or something (once more, the probabilities were low).

She took the coat in her hands and put it on diffidently, it was not an everyday occasion that she got to put actual clothing on.

""Where might we be going?"" She asked, unknowingly pawing the ground avoiding the man''s eyes as he stood to his full height. _He most likely could easily over power me, _she noted solemnly.

""Well, by Chinese law you are eight but by British law you are only seven, and turn eight on October thirty-fist, so you are coming to an orphanage, one for exceptionally gifted children."" He explained, holding his hand out for the girl to hold. She tilted her head, ears pointing straight at him. Making sure her claws were retracted, she took his hand, her own shaking a bit.

""If I may ask,"" She said, in her quiet little voice, being polite so as not get punished (but she truly thought that this human might deserve the kindness and politeness from her). ""Why were you making a reference to my date of birth, Sir?"" She eyed the ground, wanting oh-so badly to just walk around like a true cat instead of be so erect.

""You may call me Mr. Wammy or Watari, little one,"" He said, looking at her feet as they opened a door, one that Kat had seen many times while they took her from place to place, the main exit. ""And as for your birth date, it means that the Chinese government cannot let you live by yourself without a guardian, that and, the roommate I have set up for you shares your birth date."" He said, before he set his eyes out on the snow laden ground and Kat''s bare feet. ""Miss Keikan, may I pick you up? I do not want you catching a cold."" She scrunched her nose up a bit before turning herself into a kitten; she stared at him evenly as if asking ""Will this suffice?""

Mr. Wammy seemed to see her unwillingness to be touched in human form and merely nodded once more with gentleness, picking her up.

It seemed to otherworldly to Kat, her dream coming true all at once, but now, what mattered in her life? Was her destiny fulfilled? Her wishes were granted but she felt somewhat hollow. Orphanage: a home or other institutional setting for orphans, often operated by a local government or charitable organization. Orphan: a child whose parents are either dead or who has been abandoned by his or her parents, especially a child not adopted by another family. Parents: somebody''s mother, father, or legal guardian. Book definitions with an obscured meaning, she knew what the words meant but she was not aware of the relevance of it to her situation.

Mr. Wammy said she was being taken to an orphanage for ""exceptionally gifted children,"" a facility with others that were similar to her? Unlikely, she doubted that cat-people were common in the truly calloused world she lived in. So, if she was going to an orphanage that meant she was an orphan. So that meant she did not have any parents either alive or they simply abandoned her.

She let all of the possibilities wash over her, not comprehending adult humans too well. She was a master mind at finding hidden intentions but was clueless as to why said intentions were hidden. She may have been a genius, one who knew without a doubt that what they did to her at the labs was _wrong_, but regular humans were baffling to her.

Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep, but when she opened her eyes what she saw was surprising: a large structure, almost castle-like, the type of thing you might find in the fairy book she had tossed aside one afternoon, naming it useless in her search to uncover what was the human mind. Children ran around it, smiling, laughing, and a few quietly swinging on the nearby play ground and there was one who was at a bench just reading away. Some seemed as old as adults, some were younger than her and others were just about her age at least.

Of course, she made her observations from inside an antique looking car, paws on the window. Her eyes widened as they seemingly turned to look at the motionless vehicle. She turned into her more human form, looking with wide eyes at the audience of children seeming to be chanting ''new comer'' to each other. Kat cringed slightly. Soon a figure appeared in front of her opening the door and leaning in to free her from the straps of the seat belt. Mr. Wammy was very delicate, especially around the healing wounds which she assumed he wrapped himself. ""Thank you, Mr. Wammy,"" She said, looking at the giant looming gates, than further to the children who were looking towards the car curiously.

_Amazing! _She thought, looking down at herself than the humans. _Miniature humans! So this is the result when a normal human couple reproduces!_

Mr. Wammy took her hand and led her to the front gates, her ear were perked up at every sound she heard, barely ever getting the opportunity. ""_Am I allowed to show my feline characteristics here, Mr. Wammy?"_"She asked timidly, biting her lip, a glimpse of her slightly sharpened canines flashing the children unintentionally. All of this was said in Cantonese, she assumed he knew that along with Mandarin Chinese, if he had managed to pilfer her away from China.

""Yes, but the children might need time to get used to it,"" He said, a smile on his features. With a grand push, he opened the gate, loosening his hold on her hand. She noticed this and turned to him, head tilted, a soft ""Meow?"" Leaving her to fall to the tips of her fingers (thumb forgotten) and the balls of her feet in a crouched position. ""I sensed that you were uncomfortable, after seeing many of the security tapes, I noticed you preferred this method of walking instead of the more common one."" He explained her silent question, almost as if he could understand her soft meows and mews or the occasional purr and hiss.

She nodded, shaking her tail out of the confines of the soft coat, she kept an eye on Mr. Wammy as he walked along, he was quite a few meters away before she let a glint come to her eye, pouncing over the first meter, she then proceeded to catch up with Mr. Wammy, glancing at the snow, looking at her nose when a snow flake landed on it, enjoying the feel of it on her hands and the surprisingly inviting cold.

She ignored the questioning glances and whispers and simply followed Mr. Wammy inside the large mansion. The inside was just as grand as the outside, showing bright colors so different compared to the dull shades of the Labs. She made note of every twist and turn and of all of the halls and corridors they passed, not one speck of dirt going un-inventoried. Mr. Wammy told her which door led to the classrooms and which ones should be committed to memory, her wide eyed stare was calculating and curious, taking everything in like a metaphorical sponge.

""And this,"" Mr. Wammy indicated, pointing to a double door room with intricate designs on them (the doors), the carvings were different on both doors, one seemed reminiscent of Chinese cat-like designs, then the strangely detailed Jyuunishi (the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac- Japanese). Mr. Wammy smiled again, waiting patiently for her.

Moving slowly, she raised one hand to open the doors, peering into the room vigilantly. She jumped a bit when she saw someone already in the room, on the computer, typing away. ""_Misutaa_ _Wami! Womotte iru no ga!"" _She whispered frantically, this time in Japanese. _Mr. Wammy! Someone is in there!_

""I do believe that is your roommate, Kew,"" He said, moving ahead of her and opening the door, only to see that the boy was standing right in front of it now. ""Kew, this is L, L this is Kew, you two will be roommates.""

And then they both examined each other. Kat found that this L''s raven hair was unruly and long, gray eyes in which the pupil was dilated so much it dominated nearly the whole eye not to mention the bags he had and his skin was very pale. He wore but a simple long sleeve t-shirt and jeans. He was slouched with one hand in the pocket of said jeans.

L scanned his eyes over her, she was just about two inches shorter than him but she looked even more starved than even he, the surface of her skin was nearly completely covered with bandages, telling him that either she was abused or in a horrible accident. Her raven hair was mixed with silver and fluffy ears were set on the top, a tail poked out from behind her, swaying rhythmically. She had a small button nose, fair lips and her eyes, those might have been the most exotic part of her person. Bright shimmering emeralds glazed with curiosity to cover the walls she had set up around herself, they were slanted at a slight angle, and the pupil was slitted. She was standing in just bandages, sweats and a much too big parka.

Finally, Kat plucked up the courage to bow, having read it in a book it was a polite way to greet someone. ""Hello, L, I am Kat, or as Mr. Wammy put it, Kew Keikan,"" She said, keeping her head bowed as she lifted herself back up.

""And I am L. Lawliet, pleasure to meet you Kat,"" He said, a childish smile on his features. It seemed to Kat that on the outside world, people tended to show happiness more often, usually in a smile. She turned her head up, lips twitching up into a grin.

L scanned his eyes over her, she was just about two inches shorter than him but she looked even more starved than even he, the surface of her skin was nearly completely covered with bandages, telling him that either she was abused or in a horrible accident. Her raven hair was mixed with silver and fluffy ears were set on the top, a tail poked out from behind her, swaying rhythmically. She had a small button nose, fair lips and her eyes, those might have been the most exotic part of her person. Bright shimmering emeralds glazed with curiosity to cover the walls she had set up around herself, they were slanted at a slight angle, and the pupil was slitted. She was standing in just bandages, sweats and a much too big parka.

Finally, Kat plucked up the courage to bow, having read it in a book it was a polite way to greet someone. ""Hello, L, I am Kat, or as Mr. Wammy put it, Kew Keikan,"" She said, keeping her head bowed as she lifted herself back up.

""And I am L. Lawliet, pleasure to meet you Kat,"" He said, a childish smile on his features. It seemed to Kat that on the outside world, people tended to show happiness more often, usually in a smile. She turned her head up, lips twitching up into a grin.

Misa smiles as wide as she can as her parents drop her off at school, smiling at them and the world in general. Today is Valentine's Day, her mother explained the night before, a day when everyone celebrates love and affection and each other. Misa may only be eight, but she still thinks it's so sweet. So she spent all morning getting ready, her hair in curls and pink ribbons - mommy was never sure how Misa ended up blonde, even though half her grandparents on each side were American, but it helped her in the West when they had to travel for business. Misa's face is already starting to hurt from smiling so much as she waves goodbye to her parents and skips into the school building, and she's never been so excited in her life.

See, there's a boy that Misa likes, here at school. He's sweet and he's shy and doesn't mind Misa's odd name or hesitant English. He said hello to her on the first day she moved here for daddy's business, and he let her play with his hair when no one else was looking. It was the first time she'd ever seen someone with the same hair color as her before. His name is Steven, with a "v", and Misa really, really likes him. She wants to tell him, keep him for herself, and she's going to today. She's all dressed up and tucked in her backpack is a card she made herself - well, mommy helped. It's covered with ribbons and pink hearts and "Steven" spelled out in glitter on the front. There's a sticker of a dinosaur on it, too, because it's for a boy.

Misa can hardly sit still at school, and it's the first time that the teacher ever has to tell her to stop squirming. Finally, after math it's time to exchange cards. Lots of the boys give her cards and she smiles at them all - Misa isn't sure if she's ever smiled this much - even the ones she doesn't know. The girls are mad at her, because her pile of cards is bigger than any of theirs, and she knows her skirt and hair is prettier. They're usually mad at her, and Misa wishes they could be friends, but no matter what she does they stay mad at her. Mommy says they're just jealous and not to listen to them, and Misa does try.

Misa looks around, blond curls bouncing on her shoulders. Where's Steven? She was so sure he would give her a card, so sure he liked her too, so sure from shy looks and scribbled notes and the way he blushed when she kissed him on the cheek at recess when the teacher wasn't looking. She can't see him anywhere, but there's a lot of others moving around and there aren't many places he could go without the teacher getting mad. So she slips off her chair and starts to look around, pushing some red-headed girl out of the way and barely taking time to smooth out her skirt before skittering off.

She looks behind the closet, and under the window boxes and by the water fountain, but she can't find him anywhere. His coat is still on the rack, so he must still be here. She even crawls under the chairs in the back where they would hide sometimes and talk quietly, but he's not there either! She crawls back out and brushes the dust from her skirt, looking around with a sinking feeling in her chest. She's looked all around the classroom, and they're not allowed outside. Where is he?

She gives up, hanging her head, and starts walking towards the trashcan to throw away the card. It's not like she can give it to anyone else, and besides, she doesn't want to give any cards away now. Why should she bother, if she can't give him one? She spent hours on it last night, pouring sparkles and getting glue in her hair, and now she can't use it. She glances around one last time, despondent. Wait, there he is! She suddenly sees him, and her heart is buoyed. He's over by the teacher's desk, and she smiles, ready to finally give him his card.

But there's a girl there, some brown-haired, brown-eyed girl named Suzie with a plain face and a plain dress. Misa's never seen them together before, and Misa has been watching. They're both blushing bright red, and Misa watches with horror-struck eyes while Steven gives that girl a card and holds her hand. He doesn't look at Misa, not once, and she tries not to cry as he shyly takes Suzie's store-bought card in return.

Misa just creeps back to her chair and doesn't talk to anyone for the rest of the day, until she goes home and cries into Mommy's lap about how she just wanted him to like her back. Mommy hugs her close, dusting off her dress and fixing her hair, and whispering stories into her ear about a bright-eyed prince who will come and love Misa forever, if Misa is good and waits for him.

That makes Misa feel better, a bit. That night, she makes another card, with ribbons and lace and even more sparkles than before. It's almost as pretty as the one Mommy helped with, even if the sparkles are messy and her penmanship is hard to read. Misa doesn''t put any name on it, though, because she doesn''t know her prince name''s yet. Satisfied, finally, she puts it underneath her bed where it''ll be safe. One day, when she meets her prince, she''ll give it to him.

She never talks to Steven again.

Today felt different and as soon as I got up I knew I had forgotten something. My eyes flashed to the calendar, June 17th, it was my little sisters 15th birthday and I had forgotten. Well it wasn''t that big of a surprise I''d forgotten every year since she turned 10.

I got dressed and walked downstairs feeling embarrassed, ""Happy birthday Sayu,"" I told her enthusiastically.

""What did you get me Nii-Chan"" she said through bites of cereal

""Sayu I forgot your present in Ami''s car last night."" I said lying through my teeth, Ami was my girlfriend and I would probably borrow something of hers and wrap it like I did last year. Of course then I''d had to pay her the price of the borrowed necklace.

Suddenly the doorbell rang I rushed to get the door open and I heard Sayu giggle. I pulled open the door and was surprised to see Ami carrying a wrapped box. Sayu jumped up from her chair eager to get her hands on the, I''m not sure what it was. Ami stood on her tip toes considering she is more than a head shorter than me and kissed my cheek then she whispered ""You owe me big time."" In my ear, and I nodded not expecting anything less.

My mom called me to ask who was there and both Ami and I straightened up. ""Oh hi Ami, it''s a surprise seeing you so early this morning."" My mom said pleasantly, she like Ami she just didn''t like the fact that Ami was my best friends Ex-Girlfriend.

""I''m sorry to intrude Mrs. Yagami I just had to drop off Sayu''s present, Light left it in my car last night."" She said in her unusually high voice.

""No it''s all right, Why don''t you come for dinner tonight?"" my mom asked her

""I''m sorry Mrs. Yagami as much as I''d love to I have to work tonight."" She said very calm and I knew she was lying. Lucky for her my mom knows nothing about cars and wouldn''t realize that an 18 yr. old who can afford a Porsche doesn''t need a job.

""Oh that''s too bad, I''d love to have you over sometime."" Said my mom, Ami waited patiently while I ate breakfast so she could drive me to school, when I finished I heard her mutter ""finally"" under her breath.

Once we were at Ami''s car I let out a laugh, ""So how much do I owe you this time?"" I asked

""$50.75"" she said quietly, once a friend asked me why I let Ami push me around considering she''s almost a foot shorter and looks younger than Sayu, as beautiful as she is I hate it when people ask me why I''m dating a sophomore and I always calmly correct them and explain that Ami is 18 and a senior.

The ride to school was silent like usual with Ami focused on the road, she wasn''t in a good mood and I decided not to bug her but I really needed to ask her a favor, ""Ami can I ask you a favor?"" I asked carefully not to set her off.

""Yes you MAY."" She said calmly but I could detect tension behind her voice.

""On Friday I have my drivers test at 6 can you drive me?"" I finished quickly; she laughed at the irony in the comment and nodded her greens eyes softening.

""Is everything okay?"" I asked worried about the strange mood in the car

""No"" she started her voice calm ""I hate Natsumi"" she said as tears poured down her pale face. I didn''t know much about Ami''s family except the fact that her parents died a few years back and she lived with her 28 yr. old brother Adei and his wife Natsumi, both held really good jobs so their family was quite rich.

Before I could ask her anything else we arrived at the school and I saw my friend Danny and my ex-best friend Tori. Ami rushed off to her class and I went to talk to Danny when Tori approached me ""Can I tell you something about Ami?"" he asked his tone mocking

""No"" I snapped and walked away. Tori was Ami''s old boy friend he didn''t like her or me since Ami broke up with him and started dating me. As I looked over at Tori I could see him talking to the principal and him shaking his head looking at me with a look of disappointment on his face. I knew right away I was in trouble.

A/N I don''t know if I should continue and I need some suggestions, this chapter was just to introduce Ami and explain her relationship with Light and Natsumi so when the death note shows up in Chapter 2 or 3 everyone''s actions make some sense.

Usually Matt didn't particularly care about the state the world was in. Things like the weather didn't mean much to him considering he spent most of his time indoors glued to the couch with a game controller in his hand. But sometimes, such as this, when he ventured past the walls of his small, one bedroom apartment in the middle of Los Angeles, he came to appreciate the sunny or cloudy times of the day. Windy and Rainy weather could be hindering but there were times when he wouldn't mind braving the forces of chilly air and getting wet. Snow, however, beat all other forms of climate changes. There was just something about the mixture of cold crystals falling from the sky in random patterns.

It was beautiful and calming. Not loud like rain when it hit the many surfaces of the world, but you knew it was there nevertheless. And it sent pleasant shivers up the spine when touching the skin.

But most of all, Matt liked what snow resembled; silence, innocence, purity, so easily tainted.

And it was fun. Every time it fell from the sky Matt felt an indescribable joy bubble in his chest and put a bounce in his step, jiggling the bag filled with a box of cigarettes and 23 king sized chocolate bars (the last on the shelf). He jogged up the steps to the lobby of his Apartment complex and through the front doors. Giving a small smile to the desk manager he strolled to the left, walked into the adjoining hallway and up a flight of stairs to the second story. Three doors to the right he pulled out the key and unlocked the door, welcoming the warmth from within.

""I'm back,"" He called out, toeing off the black boots. There was no answer and Matt set the grocery bag on the kitchen table before walking through the living room in front of the couch. A blond haired man occupied the piece of furniture, black leather adorned the body, golden tresses surrounded the head like a halo, and half a chocolate bar laid in his hand. His eyes were shut, lips slightly parted, and his breaths came in tranquil, even pants. He looked like an angel.

Matt knew better.

""Hey,"" He called, a hand reaching out to lightly shake his friend's shoulder. ""Mello, wake up.""

Slowly, the eyes opened, revealing a bright, almost crazed, crystal blue. For a second, the blond just blinked, looking at Matt blankly until his brain seemed to click in recognition. ""Did you get the chocolate?""

""Yeah, how are you feeling?""

""Better. I think my fever is gone.""

Matt's hand moved up to feel Mello's forehead, testing the temperature, much to the blond's dislike as a very heated glare was sent his way. ""Looks that way,"" He replied before his hand was slapped away, but continued without a beat, ""Do you want the solid chocolate bar or should I fix some hot chocolate?""

The glare disappeared rather quickly and suddenly Mello looked quite tired despite his little nap. ""Hot chocolate."" When Matt moved away and into the kitchen, Mello groaned, ""I can't believe I'm sick. It's so stupid.""

""It's all this cold weather. It came so suddenly, people everywhere are getting sick,"" Matt said from the counter, filling up a glass with milk to warm up in the microwave. ""It's snowing too.""

""Really? Los Angeles usually doesn't get much snow, if at all. How much?""

""A good bit. Enough to cover the ground."" They were silent then as Matt heated the milk and dropped quite a lot of chocolate into the cup to melt. Mello stood from the couch, stretching a bit. He looked around, giving a small, almost non-existent sigh before walking across the room to a glass door leading to a small patio, sliding the door open and slipping outside.

When Matt had the mug of hot chocolate ready he followed, his friend outside, shivering when hit with a gust of cold air. ""You know, I didn't think I would have to remind you of all people that being out in the snow with nothing on but your skimpy black leather is not a good idea. Especially since you are just recovering from a fever.""

Mello sent a half hearted glare to the red head, taking the cup of warm liquid with a little gratitude, making his face twist strangely from the mixed expressions. ""Whatever. Being sick is such a waste of time. That little albino shit is probably ahead of me now.""

Smiling, the gamer sat down in one of the plastic chairs, leaned back and opened his mouth to catch snowflakes on his tongue. The blond laughed at that, ""The snow is probably polluted, you know. You'll get sick, and I am _not_ taking care of you.""

""Even if it is polluted I'd have to eat quite a bit of snow to get sick off it. But thanks for showing your concern. I feel the appreciation.""

Another sigh came from the blond, louder this time and Matt turned his head to look at him. ""What's wrong?""

Swallowing a rather large gulp of hot chocolate Mello took a moment to answer, looking out to the city around them. Watching the silent snow fall as the familiar loud music of the city continued below was captivating. Finally, Mello opened his mouth to answer in a low voice, ""I'm just tired.""

""Physically or Emotionally?""

""Both.""

Matt let out a sigh of his own and, for a second, just allowed himself to sag in the chair in a moment of surrender. ""Me too.""

""But you're always tired,"" Was the answer, but the tone was teasing.

""You know what I mean, Mel. This whole thing is so exhausting. Battling Kira _and_ Near is a little too much to handle for much a long period of time. I miss the old days where we could just pick on the kid, and didn't have to worry about it being the last thing we'd ever do.""

""Yeah,"" Mello said, still not looking at Matt. ""I miss it too sometimes.""

From a normal, rational, point of view, one would say the way Mello acted was merely the way he reflected on the past; remembering the good times shared within his childhood. But when dealing with Mello, rationality was the last thing thing involved in decoding the boy's attitude. Such a calm demeanor for anybody else would be a good thing but with Mello, well, let's just say that Matt was getting worried. ""Hey, no worries. We'll get him, Mello. Kira will be caught and Near will look like the fool.""

""But what if we don't, Matt?"" The question was said so softly, the red head had to strain to hear it over the city's noise. When the words registered he froze.

This was quite the role reversal. Matt was the one suppose to be calm, unbelieving of any results towards what they were working hard for. Mello was suppose to be saying- albeit in a more forceful way with a lot more colorful words, how they would accomplish the impossible. He didn't like this at all.

""What are you saying Mello?""

""L,"" The single word, a name, was said with a somewhat choked voice. ""L died fighting Kira. He was killed even with the help of Watari. He had so much more experience! And Near... he may not have someone he ultimately trusts to help him but he's got the aid of the SPK. We have nothing, Matt!""

""Since when has that ever stopped you,"" Matt's voice was getting louder, a sure sign of his rising impatience. He was usually so cool headed, especially when regarding Mello as that was the best way to stay alive. But the conversation was foreign to him- never, in the entire expanse of their relationship, did he ever think he'd have this kind talk with his temperamental friend. ""Where is this coming from? If you have such little faith then why the hell are you doing this, Mello?""

""I don't know!"" And suddenly, those blue eyes were on him, a glint of something flashed before the orbs and Matt's anger reached the top so quickly he would later be astounded. Insecurity was not something Matt ever thought the blond had the right to show.

Standing, the red head moved right up to the blond, shortening the distance between them in a threatening way, something he had not dared to do in years. ""Then give up! Walk away right now! Go back to Whammy House and tell them all how you joined the fucking Mafia, blew up your fucking face, and risked your life for nothing! And when all those kids ask you why you quit, what will you say?! I was a coward?""

There was a second where Mello's eyes widened in surprise at Matt's outburst before narrowing in anger, ""I'm _not_ a coward!""

""You sound like one,"" Matt scoffed and turned around, sitting in the chair again, trying to force his anger back into his chest. He reached into his pocket, retrieving a pack of cigarettes, the last one inside; thank God he had the foresight to buy a box at the store while getting Mello's chocolate. He brought it to his lips along with the cylinder shaped lighter he carried with him everywhere and lit the cancer stick, taking a deep breath of smoke. It warmed him slightly from the chill in the air and worked at his tense nerves. Mello watched this with a icy hard glare that would make anybody else flinch.

""I didn't chase you down to listen to this shit, Mello,"" He said, letting smoke crawl from his mouth with the words. ""I thought you wanted to avenge L, become number one, beat Near, and save the world. If you don't think you can do that, or at least try to, let me know. Cause you're wasting my time.""

""If you want to leave then get the fuck out! It's not like I'm holding you here!""

""Are you?! Because the last time I checked this wasn't just some boss and employee relationship. I was under the impression we were partners!""

""Maybe you're_ impression_ was wrong! I don't need a partner, I work alone, that's why I left your ass in the first place!""

He went too far, Mello realized this the instant in which it came from his mouth. But the words were said, and despite their hurtful meaning, both of them knew Mello had meant it. And suddenly, the urge to argue disappeared.

Matt's green eyes, hidden behind orange tinted goggles experienced a burning sensation and his throat constricted. Rolling his thick tongue around his mouth, Matt spoke, ""I guess you're right. Sorry if I've been in your way. I suppose I'll take the hint and 'get the fuck out' so you can do your business.""

With that, the red head stood, cigarette in his mouth, and slid the glass door open, slipping into the warmth of the apartment. Mello's lips parted, as if telling him that this was the time to protest; to tell his friend that he didn't want him to leave. But the words wouldn't come, getting stuck in his throat and threatening to choke him with meaning.

Silence surrounded him, although he hardly noticed with the torment of thoughts swarming around in his genius of a mind. Blank eyes turned, once more, to stare out at the snow still falling beautifully, unaware of the horrible happenings. He watched. For minutes, or hours he didn't know, but by the time he finally decided to go inside it was dark and his body was numb.

He noticed the lights were out around the apartment and, without paying much attention, strolled past the couch and into the doorway of the only bedroom, one that he and Matt shared. Two beds laid against opposite sides of the room, a desk with a lap top in the middle, against the wall underneath a curtain covered window. A bookshelf with only the barest of books sat to the right; mostly covered by newspaper clippings of Kira murders and tapes of recorded videos Mello had Matt set up. Two doors were on the right; one led to the bathroom, the other was a closet occupied by leather, striped shirts, and jeans.

No Matt.

The blond wondered to his side of the room, stopping short of falling onto his bed when he noticed a piece of paper on the pillow.

_Mello,_

_I'll be back tomorrow to get my stuff. You can take the apartment, I'll have the papers signed over to you by next week._

_Matt_

Mello flopped forward onto the mattress, burying his face into the black comforter, almost immediately feeling his eyes drop. The night was full of dreams in which he felt incredibly alone and helpless. Something was missing, and he knew it was his fault.

Watari sighed. He hadn''t gotten a break in weeks. After the Kira case popped up, things had been chaotic between him and Ryusaki. Lately, Ryusaki spent most of his time alone in his room staring at a computer screen, so Watari had decided to pay him a visit.

""Ryusaki-san, I……"" Watari began. He stopped in shock. Inside the room laid Ryusaki, unconscious on the floor with some splattered cake beside him. Watari hurried to Ryusaki and tried to wake him up. ""R-Ryusaki!"" he said panicked. ""I better call someone, At least one person!"" he said.

""SO? AM I GETTING MY APPLE OR WHAT?!"" yelled a starving Ryuk. ""Fine, fine."" Said Light preparing to throw an apple to his starving Shinigami friend. But suddenly his phone rang. ""Hello."" He began. ""WHAT?! RYUSAKI COLLASPED?"" Light yelled. ""_Oh no.""_ Light thought._ ""If the second Kira is responsible for this, then I''m as good as caught.""_

Everyone was worried, especially Matsuda, who was thinking that Kira was among them. ""I…….I think……."" Matsuda began. ""What is it Matsuda?"" Watari said. ""I THINK LIGHT IS KIRA!"" Watari yelled. This statement sent everyone in the room into shock. First they looked at Light. Then they turned to the unconscious Ryusaki in the bed behind them.

""Wha-What are you talking about Matsuda?!"" Light said. ""Ryusaki said that Kira could control people before they died! Kira must have made Ryusaki collapse so he would die in his sleep and it would look like an accidental death! Kira needs a name and a face to kill which means that we are all suspects, BUT LIGHT YAGUMI IS THE MOST SUSPICIOUS PERSON IN THIS ROOM!"" Matsuda said angered.

""What about you Matsuda? You just said it yourself! We are all suspects, but you are the suspicious one! If Kira was among us and did this, he''d probably try to frame someone in this group! That makes you really suspicious!"" Light said as a compulsive comeback.

As they continued to argue, Ryusaki opened his eyes and began to leave the room. "_"I know I left that ice cream somewhere around here.""_ Ryusaki thought. Matsuda turned to see Ryusaki leaving the room in what looked like a trance. "_"NO! Kira is probably controlling him into committing suicide!""_ Matsuda thought.

""NO RYUSAKI! DON''T DO IT!"" Matsuda yelled as everyone else noticed that Ryusaki was awake and walking. Just as Ryusaki turned, Matsuda glomped him like a crazed fangirl. ""……..uh…….Matsuda, May I ask what you''re doing?"" Ryusaki said confused. ""So……..you AREN''T committing suicide?"" Matsuda asked. ""No. I was just napping."" Ryusaki said. ""But you would be right to say that you are crushing my lungs."" Ryusaki said in a choked up voice.

Everyone stared at Matsuda for a while, all probably thinking he was gay.


End file.
